Northern Ireland is estimated to have around 460,000 dogs living in about 320,000 homes making us the most pooch friendly region of the UK.

And on Friday the theory will be tested with the arrival of Bring Your Dog to Work Day.

We love them, we live with them but will we actually take them to work?

And will there be howls of complaints from our non-dog friendly colleagues about the hair, the tail wagging, snuffling in bins and general canine chaos that's bound to ensue for a while?

The annual nationwide event raises money for charities dedicated to making a difference to the welfare of dogs.

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And according to Plus, an American study published three years ago, dogs at work may make a positive difference by reducing stress levels in staff and increasing levels of job satisfaction.

Staff at PrivateFly a private jet company based in London, regularly have Labradoodle Tex spend the day with them.

Adam Twidell from PrivateFly, said: "All of the PrivateFly team enjoy the relaxation of having a dog in the office. I think it’s great for morale and creates a relaxing and fun atmosphere especially when Tex puts on his pilot’s hat.

“Having pets at home has been proven to help combat stress and I think the same applies at work.

"Having a dog around can therapeutic, it puts things in perspective if you’re having a bad day. Their philosophy of ‘eat, sleep, play’ reminds you not to sweat the small stuff.”

This reported benefit to employee wellbeing and the desire to raise money for animal welfare charities led to the creation of Bring Your Dog To Work Day.

Mark Hirschel and Jo Amit, the co-founders of a pet product company, started the charity and businesses can now donate online to Bring Your Dog To Work Day .

Jo said: "We were overwhelmed with how successful Bring Your Dog To Work Day has become. The reception to the idea blew us away and it was amazing to see how many posted their dogs at work across all social media platforms.

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“Most importantly, it was fantastic to raise money for a cause that has always been close to our hearts.

Companies in Northern Ireland can take part in the special pooch day by donating a minimum of £50 to take part and become a sponsor, and individuals can gift as little as £1 via text.

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Jo said: “This year we wanted to open Bring Your Dog To Work Day up to businesses and organisations that want to fundraise for charities of their choice. Considering the participation rate in previous years, we think this could be a powerful way to spread the popularity of the event."